


and then the letting go

by Seascribe



Category: Dallas Stars RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Angst, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Relationship Talks, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 06:19:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12977919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seascribe/pseuds/Seascribe
Summary: Jason's asking Aleš for something, for the first time.





	and then the letting go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inalasahl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inalasahl/gifts).



> Thanks to S and D for the beta.

Aleš loves Dallas, loves the team, the city, the fans. Even when he was out, grinding his way through rehabbing his hip, even in those last hopeless, awful months, when they couldn't fill the building and the captain was so miserable it left lines on his face, Aleš loves being a Dallas Star, doesn't regret for a second following Jason here. It sucks that it ends the way it does, that he knows the whole time it's ending, every miserable minute, just like those warning signs on electric fences. If Nill had any plans for him to come back, he would have floated something by Aleš' agent months ago. 

On the really bad days, he thinks about hanging them up. Giving up. There's no guarantee that his hip's going to be able to handle the abuse of the NHL any better now than before they rebuilt it. He's in enough pain as it is; nobody's gonna pay him enough to make it worth going through that again. Hell, maybe nobody's gonna pay him at all. 

A bunch of the guys stick around after the season, probably because it's still reasonably warm in Dallas, Aleš guesses. That's not why he's staying, but it doesn't hurt. Some of the old guys trickle back in, Jordie and Eaves and Demers. Darth looks at Aleš kind of sideways, and in retrospect, Aleš probably should have figured out then that something was going to happen. 

He's eating dinner with Spezz when it does. Jason won't say it because he knows Aleš won't take it well, but he's worried about him. He's crap at hiding it. 

"Pevs needs somebody up front with him," Jason says, blinking those big blue eyes like Aleš doesn't know exactly what he's doing. "Somebody else who knows what it's like, you know?"

"Hmmm," Aleš says, and takes another bite of steak. 

"I'm going to retire here," Jason says. He's not doing the thing with the blinking anymore. "Maybe they'll offer me another year after this or maybe they won't, but this is it for me." 

Aleš doesn't choke on his steak, but he does drop his fork. The words aren't a question, but Jason's asking him for something, for the first time. He didn't ask Aleš to come here, but Aleš came. Now he's asking him to stay. 

"I'll call Pevs," Aleš says, when he finally remembers how to chew and swallow. "I like it here." Jason doesn't say anything, but Aleš hasn't ever seen him smile like that. It's lighting up the whole room, and Aleš too. 

They don't talk much through the rest of dinner, just chewing their steaks and soaking everything in, quiet and almost meditative. The shrill of Aleš' phone going off ruins it. He thinks vaguely that he needs to make Radek change the ringtone back to something that doesn't hurt his ears. 

His first thought, when he sees his agent's name, is that it's good news, that Jim Nill has decided there's a place for him in Dallas after all. His second thought is, inexplicably, of the way Darth had looked at him in the practice arena last week. That, as it turns out, is the right thought. 

His agent thinks he should sign with Montréal. One year, one million, a chance to prove he can still play in the NHL, maybe a chance to earn a bigger payout next year. His agent isn't one to mince his words, to let his players make foolish choices under the guise of protecting their feelings. _It's July. You can keep waiting if you want, but the odds of anything else coming along are slim. If you want to keep playing in the NHL, you'll sign this deal_.

Aleš thinks about Pevs and suits and paperwork. He thinks about the road schedule, about practice and media and the bye week. He thinks about Jason asking and that huge contract that goes through 2019. He thinks about one more year. 

"Okay," Aleš says. "Tell them I'm in." 

The entire conversation is in Czech, which he knows for a fact that Jason doesn't understand a word of, not even the insults they say on the ice, but when he puts the phone down and forces himself to look up into Jason's eyes, they're weary and knowing. Aleš's stomach feels like he's swallowed stones. 

"Where?" Aleš listens to hear any hint of betrayal in his voice and can't. Jason's always been too good for him. 

"Montréal. With Darth." That doesn't make this moment any easier, but it will in the long run, having a familiar face, a friend, there with him. Thinking about the future, planning, that helps lighten the weight of rocks in Aleš' belly, a little. 

Jason doesn't say anything, and Aleš adds, "For a year. It'll be fun to play against each other again, eh?" It sounds more desperate than he'd like. 

"Fun," Jason says. "Hey, good for you, man, you deserve it." Aleš almost wishes he could hear judgement or disapproval or anything at all in the words; it would make it easier. This way, he can only guess. Hell, maybe Jason doesn't care. 

"I'll still call Pevs," Aleš says. "I don't wanna live in Montréal." Renting an apartment for 42 home games isn't the same as living there. 

Jason nods. "You could rent your place to Faks. Kid's all grown up, needs a place of his own." 

"Yeah," Aleš says. "Maybe so."

There's more food to eat and it's too good to waste. Aleš chews methodically. It doesn't taste like ashes or dirt or anything, just as delicious as it was before the phone call, but he's not as hungry as he was before. He doesn't really want dessert.

Jason stands up and goes to the kitchen, comes back with some kind of fancy dessert wine, dark and syrupy. "To celebrate your contract," he says with a smile. It's small, but genuine. 

Aleš takes his glass and toasts him. "To the future. To--to coming home." 

Maybe he'll just let Radek keep the house. Aleš won't need it when he comes back from Montréal; Jason's got a big place. They should probably talk about, like, feelings and commitment and shit before he makes a decision like that though. Later. He smiles at Jason across the table. 

Jason smiles back and clinks their glasses together. "To coming home."


End file.
